BitFlx: Real-Time Location-Aware Video Sharing
by Joe White
July 20, 2011
We've all been there: You're out on the street, something amazing happens, and you want to share it. Sure, recording a video and posting it to YouTube, and then sharing the URL around friends and family does the trick, but it's hardly exciting, riveting and captivating - mainly, because the experience doesn't happen instantly. While there are applications for "citizen journalists" which allow users to broadcast live from an iPhone, these apps don't concentrate much on the social aspect of real-time broadcasts. Fortunately, one new app does.
It's called BitFlx, and the iPhone application was released just over a week ago. It's currently available for free, and is natively compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. As outlined in the app's release notes, here's how it works:
Use BitFlx to take video of what's happening now. Share instantly with local friends and everyone else near you, then share through Facebook with all the rest. All in real time. Use BitFlx to see what’s happening where you are or where you want to be. Search and view live local events. Review yesterday’s happenings. Check to see if your favorite place is full of friends, or even if there is an accident that might affect your commute – it’s all up to you.You see, with BitFlx, video sharing takes place in real-time, and the process is location-based, too, meaning the application works kind of like a check-in service. But unlike foursquare or even Facebook Places, users of BitFlx can post a video of their location and share it with others. As you can see in the above screenshots, the app displays videos by location - making it easier than ever to sneak a peak at the place you're about to travel to, before leaving the house. Is it busy? What's the traffic like? With BitFlx, you can find out. The app is currently available to download for free in the App Store, and as mentioned, it's natively compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. Take a look at BitFlx, and let us know your thoughts in the comments. [Thanks to Catherine for the tip!]
